Jake and Ellie

Ellie followed Jake into the house

"I'm glad you decided to stay" said Jake to Ellie

"Thanks" she replied " I uh just wanted to apologise for what I did that night in the bar, I shouldn't have done it"

"Thank you I know that wasn't easy for you to admit." replied Jake "Can I ask you why you hate me so much?"

"I don't I just felt I uh oh I can't explain, I'm sorry I shouldn't have said anything. I told Bobby Ray I couldn't but he insisted" rambled Ellie before she ran out of the house.

"Ellie come back. Ellie" shouted Jake, he knew it was pointless to run after her. She had said something about Bobby Ray, he had walked her home last night but it had taken him longer than it should, perhaps she had told him something. Jake grabbed his jacket and ran out the door to find Bobby Ray.

He found him in the Diner, Jake went up to his booth and sat opposite him

"Hey Jake" said Bobby Ray

"Hey, so I was just said goodbye to Mel and Gabby"

"What about Ellie?"

"She decided to stay here. She apologised to me"

"Did she?" said Bobby Ray with a knowing smile on his face

"Yeah, but you already knew that she would. You see I asked her why she hated me so much and she just started to ramble so I couldn't really hear what she was saying, but what I did hear loud and clear was your name. So you wanna explain that to me?"

"Uh Jake I promised her I wouldn't say anything, especially to you" said Bobby Ray uncomfortably.

"Bobby Ray, we have been friends our whole lives, you were best man at my wedding, I made you Ellie's godfather. If there is something going on with her you damn well better tell me, she's my daughter." said Jake angrily

"Jake I can't, but that kid is hurting real bad she needs you, now more than ever. Just talk to her okay" said Bobby Ray as he got up and left.

Jake got up and drove as fast as he dared to Mel's parent's house. He knocked on the door and Mel's dad answered, Jake was relieved because Mel's mother had never really liked him, she blamed him for Mel getting pregnant and then having to get married when she was 17.

"Mornin Earl"

"Mornin Jake, I'm just on my way out"

"Okay is she here?"

"In Mel's old room, I'm sure you remember where that is"

"Thanks" said Jake before he made his way to Mel's old room

He walked in and it looked exactly the same as it had the last time he was in her room, when Mel found out she was pregnant with Ellie, except this time it was Ellie sobbing on the bed, not Mel.

"Granpa, I'm fine I told you it's just the time of the month."

"Oh I'm sure that didn't make him too uncomfortable" said Jake light heartedly

"That was the general idea" said Ellie as she sat up and faced Jake

"I spoke to Bobby Ray" said Jake

"What did he say?" asked Ellie cautiously

"He said that I was to come and talk to you and not leave until I got some answers" said Jake sitting down on the chair next to the bed and taking off his jacket " and I've got all the time in the world to wait."

Ellie just looked down at the ground and dried her eyes before saying quietly,

"I'll give you answers if you give me answers"

"Fine, me first though. Why did you tell me never to contact you again?"

"I had to, I couldn't go on the way things were, I cried myself to sleep almost every single night because I missed you so much"

Jake's heart nearly broke when he heard this he was so busy thinking about how much he had missed Ellie he hadn't even thought about how she was feeling, and if she missed him.

"I had to cut you out" continued Ellie, "for my sake, for Gabby's sake and for mum's I knew that you still being her our lives was hurting her even though she would never admit it"

"Alright. Why did you refuse to talk to me when you came back? Why do you hate me so much?"

"I don't hate you I just told myself I did and that I was better off without you. But deep down I knew that it would hurt too much if I thought about you. I couldn't let you back in when we came back because I knew he had leave again" said Ellie tears now streaming down her face.

"Hey, it's okay. You have no idea how much I missed you too." said Jake kindly as he got up and sat next to Ellie putting his arm round her.

"I'm so sorry" Ellie sobbed

"Hey it's all forgotten"

"Really?" she asked

"Of course, you can't really expect me to stay mad at my little princess."

Ellie laughed at this and hugged Jake back.